The Unfiltered Ramblings of a DVR Addict

Big Love-Episode 43:  End of Days

After hosting an Academy Awards party, I raced home to watch the Big Love Finale.  I didn’t care how exhausted I was; I wanted to find out what was up with Bill and the election.  Also what happened to Adaleen?  Bill sure has his hands full-he has an election coming up and the UEB Kansas compound is in the spotlight.  Let’s not forget last week’s Marilyn revelation-what are her true intentions? 

The episode starts out with Nicki inquiring about her mother’s whereabouts.  JJ’s freaky wife, Malinda, tells her and Cara Lynn that she went to Kansas to be with her loving sister wives. 

Bill and the election-the only ones truly behind him are Benny and Nicki (somewhat).  Bill approaches Congressman Paley on Marilyn’s shady ways-he gets scared and agrees to work on her.  Tell Marilyn to leave my casino alone or the press will get involved-them are fighting words.

Nicki isn’t convinced that Adaleen left freely, she asks Bill to check on it, and thank goodness he has a trustee member outpost in Kansas.  What is going on in Kansas?  Adaleen is being kept sedated by JJ and his son at the clinic.  News reports are featuring stories about the Kansas compound and possible intermarriage.  Bill asks JJ on the possible indictments in KS and Adaleen’s location.  JJ denies knowing anything.  Bill also questions Alby on the Kansas shenanigans-Alby is so cooperative (suspicious), he allows Bill to check the marriage rolls.  Alby appeals to Bill on his willingness to assist and offers his support for his upcoming election.  Bill seems a bit taken a back-Alby wants him to support his succession of Roman’s position.  He is on board, but only if Alby continues to follow Dale’s vision for reform.  Alby gets furious and accuses Dale of being a traitor.  Get it out Alby-you are still grief-stricken!

Since Bill wants to announce immediately after the election that they have a plural marriage and is feeling confident, he tells his wives to treat themselves at Dillard’s with new outfits.  While shopping, Barb and Marg notice that Nicki is transforming herself into a mini-Barb, power suit and all. Of course, Margene lets it slip that Nicki is having fertility problems.

At the casino, Leila is back!  She is pushing drugs on the floor.  When Barb learns that, she tries to persuade Tommy to notify the authorities.  He refuses and explains that Leila is his niece and this is a family matter, even if it means lying to the DEA.  Tommy tries to relay that he fully supports the casino, but family is family.  When Barb tries to tell Bill, he flies off the handle, he is worried that this will affect his campaign. 

Last week Margene mentioned that she didn’t want to be married to Goran anymore.  Is it like I predicted!  She is worried that she will fall for him; but in her immature way, she doesn’t explain her reasoning when Ana accuses Bill of forcing her to get a divorce from Goran.  She even states that Margene doesn’t want to give up her business.  Own up Margene!  She finally reveals to Ana that she finds Goran attractive; Ana understands and even mentions that she suspected it.  Margene feels better and shares an embrace with Ana and Goran.  Ok-did anyone sense a future threesome next season? 

JJ’s son calls Nicki with some bad news, the fertility treatments aren’t working.  She grows distraught and is offended when Margene offers her eggs for a possible pregnancy.  The conversation is disrupted when a rock is thrown at the living room window.  Who did it-JJ?  Nope, Don’s son.  Poor Don, he and his family have been struggling after the revelation that he was polygamist.  Despite his banishment, Don still supports Bill.

After delivering a motivation speech to his campaign volunteers, Bill is approached by a news reporter on his extramarital affair.  Initially Bill thinks it is Margene, “business partner,” but he means Ana and their “love baby”; he even has the paternity results.  Bill should worry; this could ruin the election for him.   He pleads with Marilyn to not leak the story.  She is willing as long as Bill stops campaigning against her.  What does Marilyn have on him?  Later that evening, Bill and his brood are watching the news reports….nothing on the affair with Ana.  Is this really the time to come out as polygamist?  Barb doesn’t think so-she confesses that she leaked the story to the press.  Here it is the night before the election and the whole family is still not on board with Bill. How can Bill trust Barb now?   The next day Barb and Bill both cast their vote, of course there is publicity.  I thought maybe they were going to show Barb vote for his opponent, instead she calls the casino.  She learns that the Flutes have been removed from the tribal council.   She is angry with Bill, he is worried about a possible drug scandal; I think he is just selfish.  Barb wanted to help them, plus Tommy is her friend.  Who is the righteous one now?  I want more of Barb and Tommy…maybe next season.  Marilyn isn’t out of the picture yet….she comes to the Henricksons’ home to call them out as polygamists.  The Flutes told her and is warning him that the public isn’t ready for plural marriage.  Bill defends The Principle, but Marilyn isn’t buying it.  She knows politics, plus she isn’t going to let Bill shame her for her scrupulous business ethics.  He is really going to face a “shit storm.”  I did like what she says to him about her sins being her own-not something justified by God.

So now we have Bill looking promising in the polls, but everyone else is miserable.  Good news for Nicki, JJ’s son calls to tell her he made a mistake with her test results-she’s pregnant.  She is elated and rushes to the compound to meet with the doctor.  Mute Wanda is in the background, too scared to warn her of him.  Wanda finally gets the strength to tell Bill that JJ is experimenting with fertility by implanting fertilized eggs in Adaleen.  This is the sick part-fertilized eggs of brother and sister-JJ and Wanda.  In the news stories on the television, they mention an unmarked grave of babies with deformities as well as Walker family experiments.  Really, is this all that is going on in Kansas?  How bizarre!  Next thing you know the storyline will include fertility treatments and goats!  Why is he doing genetic experiments?

Don’t count Adaleen out!  While being bathed by Malinda, Adaleen breaks free from her hospital bed.  JJ’s son meets with Nicki; he is going to give her a hormone injection, wink wink-it instantly knocks her out.  Enter JJ-he and his offspring-they are going to inseminate her with Cara Lynn and JJ-I had to see this scene twice to fully understand it-why?  JJ states that the three of them are a family again-GROSS-O!  Adaleen to the rescue (this season has been about mother’s courage-recall Lois)-she stabs JJ; Bill swoops in to save Nicki.  JJ runs away.

All that drama and still we don’t know how the election is going.  Benny calls to reveal that Bill won!  Barb is still not sold on the idea.  She drops the bombshell-she doesn’t need Bill anymore.  Wow!  Is she leaving him-to run off with Tommy?  Bill again relays him dedication to The Principle. 

The next day, Bill stands outside the state capitol to accept his candidacy and announce he is a polygamist.  What is interesting is that he calls up Nicki (sporting a new hairdo) first, then Margene-who looks very uncomfortable.  When he finally calls Barb, I thought for a second she was going to run off, but she took her position next to him.  The audience begins to disperse and you can even hear some shouting.  Was this a wise decision? 

The final scene shows JJ and Malinda (minus her wig) tied up in the clinic.  Adaleen is pouring gasoline all around the offices and out the front door.  She strikes the match and walks away as the clinic is engulfed in flames.

What is in store for the Henricksons next season?  What challenges will Bill face as a State Senator?  Will Barb and Tommy get together?  Will Alby get it together enough to run the UEB?  Will Joey come back from Mexico?  Will Adaleen be charged with arson/murder?  Was this season a bit ridiculous?  I mean-bird smuggling, inbred children, political war games?

Interesting comments: 

• Marilyn so angry and hurt that Bill called her a common criminal…tears?
• Nicki trying to justify Barb as first wife because she was the public wife….uh, because Barb was married to him first.
• Kissing cousins-trumped up charge
• Barb trying to take care of Tommy during lunch-what is in Barb’s heart?
• Alby’s wife asking for forgiveness and he cuts her-weirdos!
• Why does Margene have to sell her business in order to walk out on stage with Bill and his brood?
• Ana’s spirit baby….Goran will raise the child?
• Bill is like a big piñata!
• Shouldn’t Bill be concerned with saving his family rather than this election?  How desperate was Barb to leak the paternity test results to the media?
• Kansas compound-Walker family study in the 50s explains why JJ doesn’t have any fingernails and Wanda is crazy….
• Alby too busy to help Bill rescue Nicki-cuckoo!
• No incest without intercourse-Why are they making genetic mutants?
• Bill and his wives wearing Red, White and Blue